Outdoor enthusiasts must often withstand frigid temperatures. Cold weather conditions lead to discomfort and sometimes hypothermia. Solutions to these problems have led to methods of warming the parts of the human body which are most prone to cold and frostbite such as hands and feet. The methods that have been used to accomplish this outdoor warming, range from chemical packs to battery powered socks and mittens. The present invention solves the problem of overall body warming by producing a portable heater system which can be carried in a backpack to warm the entire human body or large portions of it.
In summary, the present invention improves on the prior art by maximizing the usable energy of conventional batteries. The invention surrounds conventional nichrome heating elements with a vortex creating chamber. This increases the heater's output air temperature by 10 to 15% and increases the velocity of the output air by 300%. Output air temperatures of the present invention range from 90 to 133 degrees Fahrenheit for over 90 minutes. An air flow velocity of over 8000 feet per minute is created when the air is piped through a tube with a 11/4 inch inside diameter. This permits effective heating of the upper body via a jacket, the lower body via pants, or the entire body via a woolen blanket. The entire porta-heater weighs under 22 pounds including conventional batteries. The porta-heater, therefore, enables a water ski boat driver to maintain body temperature in high speed chilling winds, or enables an emergency rescuer to carry a 22 pound backpack to a hypothermia victim and render effective first aid warming for up to an hour and a half.